Reporter Fariba Nawa introduces her investigation into Iranian plots against exiles in Turkey. She tells the story of Iran's history of violence against its citizens at home, and how that violence has grown to cross international borders today. The fate of a dissident in France becomes a blueprint for the questions she seeks to answer.

A volcano in Iceland has erupted for the fifth time in five months, forcing the nearby town of Grindavik to be evacuated. Also, a group of Israelis is trying to push back against another group of right-wing Israelis blocking food aid to Gaza. And, voters in Mexico head to the polls on Sunday. Residents of Tijuana will be watching what the new president does about the environmental problems plaguing their city. Plus, a beloved skate park that was closed down in Philadelphia is getting a second life in Sweden.

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Millions of South Africans are voting in what is being called the most important election since the end of apartheid in 1994. The vote could unseat the ruling African National Congress (ANC) party for the first time. Also, water disputes over the Rio Grande river that forms part of the US-Mexico border. And, the US is loosening some restrictions on businesses in Cuba that will allow some Cuban business owners to open bank accounts in the United States. Also, a new bill may be a boost for mothers of the disappeared in Honduras. Plus, a children’s book explaining the Israeli-Palestinian conflict to kids.

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An Israeli airstrike has sparked international condemnation after dozens of Palestinians were killed near a tent camp for displaced people in Rafah. Also, efforts to rescue victims of a Papua New Guinea landslide are facing extreme challenges. And, Mexico is poised to elect its first female president, but in a country with a history of gender violence and inequality, feminists aren’t declaring victory just yet. Plus, a look at the UK’s annual cheese rolling competition.

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Lethal Dissent is a 9-part series about the price and peril that Iranian dissidents face for speaking out against their government, and the secret operatives who seek to silence them.

It all begins when two friends flee Iran to escape the regime’s crackdown on dissent. But when they arrive in Turkey, one of them dies under unusual circumstances. Fariba Nawa, a reporter in Istanbul, works to unravel the mystery of what happened. In the process, she enters Turkey’s underworld of kidnappers-for-hire and shady government officials, and takes the listener inside an Iranian operation to snatch exiles who stand up to the regime. The stakes: the right to say what you truly believe, and potentially, your life…

A story from The World and On Spec Podcast.

With support from the Pulitzer Center and Zamaneh Media…

First episode drops May 31st wherever you get your podcasts.

This Memorial Day, host Marco Werman and show director April Peavey discover and re-discover The World’s music favorites. That includes a discussion in 2012 with singer Ed Sheeran on his first US tour, a look at the music used to promote the famous Rumble in the Jungle boxing match in 1974 between Muhammad Ali and George Forman, a conversation with twin sisters from Cuba about their diverse vocal influences and the search for a master musician in Pakistan.

Listen to today’s Music Heard on Air.

The UN's International Court of Justice has ordered Israel to stop its military offensive in the city of Rafah in southern Gaza. It comes as Israel also said it has recovered the bodies of three Israeli hostages from Gaza. Also, a look at the UAE’s support of the Sudanese paramilitary Rapid Support Forces as the war between the RSF and the Sudanese national army reaches a new critical juncture. And, a new book about architecture that was designed but never built. Plus, a look at why we clap, something that researchers say is universal.

Listen to today’s Music Heard on Air.

The death of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi has raised the question of another succession — that of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Raisi was seen as a strong candidate before his death. Also, Kenya’s president is in the US for a historic state dinner celebrating 60 years of diplomatic relations with the United States. It comes as Kenyan police prepare to arrive in Haiti to lead a controversial multinational UN force backed by Washington there. And, the Biden Administration faces an uphill battle in its efforts to close down the detention center at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba. Plus, a look at the legacy of the Latin Grammy-nominated singer, songwriter and accordionist from Colombia, Omar Geles, who has died at the age of 57.

Listen to today’s Music Heard on Air.

Spain, Ireland and Norway say they will recognize a Palestinian state on May 28. They will join 139 countries who have already taken the step. Also, a court has ruled that greenhouse gasses are a form of marine pollution, laying out legal obligations for governments. And, the Aral Sea, which spans the borders of Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, used to be the fourth largest lake on the planet but changed under Soviet policies. An engineering project turned things around, but the progress is once again on shaky ground. Plus, Jenny Erpenbeck's novel “Kairos” becomes the first translated German work to win the International Booker Prize.

Investigators in Britain have recently released an explosive report detailing how more than 30,000 UK residents contracted HIV or hepatitis from tainted blood products in the 1970s and 1980s. Survivors of the contamination and their families have welcomed new pledges of compensation. And, security forces rescued 350 hostages from Boko Haram captivity in Nigeria on Monday. The hostages had been held in a forest enclave by the militants before they were rescued. Also, who doesn't have a fond childhood memory that's grown hazy with time, especially because there was never a photo to solidify it in the mind's eye? Well, now a Spanish AI company is creating the image on paper based just on the memory. Plus, South Korea bans a North Korean TikTok sensation.